Scorched Lands: A Weird Western Adventure

Flintfinger

(A.K.A. Firestarters)
The flintfingers are gifted with a spectacular ability to conjure fire from their hands, an immunity to fire, and a great tolerance of the heat of the sun. The flintfingers are dangerous bedfellows, as their ability to conjure flames is dependent on causing some sort of ‘snap’ of the hands or fingers. Clapping, snapping, rubbing the hands together, running a finger against another are all grounds for suspicion of a flintfinger as any of those actions can cause spark. More experienced flintfingers are able to restrain this ability through some unknown means, allowing them to clap, snap or wring their fingers without risk of doing any harm. As a consequence of their new abilities which are dependent on bare skin contact, most newer and less experienced flintfingers will wear some sort of glove or wrapping around a hand or both to ensure that a spark doesn’t jump loose.

Flintfingers commonly have dreams of a primitive bas-relief depicting a crude figure grasping fire or exuding flames. Other dreams involve mass arson or a place that is both familiar and unfamiliar being on fire. Within a period of time, that can range from a few minutes to a month, their powers begin to manifest.

The flame that is produced will typically follow whatever direction the flintfinger’s arm or finger is pointed at. The size of the flame does not seem wholly dependent on the action performed nor the physical attributes of the flintfinger. The shape however can be manipulated through the action performed: usually finger snaps create smaller bursts of flames, claps create a vertically shaped waves or can be used to create an expanding ball of flame, palm rubbing is typically used to heat up the hands of a flintfinger which can be used to melt or ignite things. Finger wringing is a strange action that can make very minute but intensely hot flames that can be hidden and dropped.

Psychoanalysis of flintfingers indicate that there is a pathological condition wherein pleasure and adrenaline rushes can be experienced when something is ignited or burning. This pyromania is somewhat different in that, there is no particular need to set things on fire. However this relief can induce behaviors more in line with traditional pyromania wherein serial arson becomes a habit that occurs typically under emotional duress.

More advanced techniques of flintfingers involve long-range shaping and manipulation of a pre-existing flame. Long range shaping can manifest as blasting a series of ‘fiery spikes’ at a target, making it narrow to a point and burn through a target (essentially transforming into a laser), or splitting off to hone in on another target.

Interestingly enough, flintfingers cannot manipulate pre-existing flames. For whatever reason they just can’t. However, expanding their own flames and ‘consuming’ the natural fire, does result in a larger mass of fire to be controlled. As well as natural fires, USUALLY a flintfinger is unable to control another flintfinger’s flame. The only exception so far is Davey “The Conductor” Brown who can use his flame to redirect another flintfinger’s flame.